First Flowering Trees Have Bloomed on National Mall

5 PHOTOS

Monday, Feb 26, 2018

CORRECTION (Feb. 26, 2018, 3:20 p.m.): The flowering trees News4 spotted on the National Mall the week of Feb. 19 were Japanese flowering apricot trees, not cherry blossom trees, National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst told News4 on Feb. 26. The trees are often mistaken for each other, he said.

Cherry blossom time is coming!

Storm Team4's Chuck Bell spotted the first flowering trees of the season on the National Mall this week. Often mistaken for cherry blossom trees, the trees with pink blooms are Japanese flowering apricot trees, National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst told News4. They're usually the first fruit trees to flower as temperatures warm.

Meanwhile, cherry blossom bloom watch is underway. On Sunday, the famous Yoshino cherry trees reached the green bud stage, which is the first of six stages on the way to peak bloom.